Gabriel Hardman Talks Kinski and Star Wars: Legacy

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Hardman chats about his new creator-owned book and building a new Star Wars Legacy.

By Jesse Schedeen

Dark Horse has delivered a major overhaul to its lineup of Star Wars comics this year. One of their more high-profile new books is Star Wars: Legacy, a continuation of the long-running series from John Ostrander and Jan Duursema. However, this sequel features a largely new cast and a new creative team -- co-writers Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko (Hardman also provides the art). Though only two issues in, this new series is already weaving a compelling new tale starring the descendant of Han Solo and Princess Leia.

But Legacy isn't the only new book Hardman has launched recently. Today saw the release of the first chapter of Kinski, Hardman's new creator-owned project published digitally through Monkeybrain Comics. This quirky drama follows an obsessive man who risks his career and reputation in pursuit of a dog named Kinski.

We recently had the chance to talk to Hardman about both books. He discussed the challenges of building a new Star Wars saga, how working in this sci-fi universe comapres to Planet of the Apes, and the genesis of Kinski.

IGN Comics: Can you talk about your history with Star Wars and what originally drew you to this project?

Gabriel Hardman: I was 3 when A New Hope came out. I even saw it in the theater so there’s never been a time that I wasn’t a Star Wars fan. The idea of creating a comic in that world has always been appealing to me.

Dark Horse Comics editor Randy Stradley initially approached my co-writer Corinna Bechko and I about a new Legacy series. Since it’s set in the future of the Star Wars timeline we can focus on pushing the story forward. We’re not writing a prequel to any stories that have already been told. The future is not written in the Legacy era. That’s a very liberating.

IGN: Licensed comics tend have a pretty unpredictable track record. Do you feel like your work with the Planet of the Apes franchise at BOOM! helped prepare you for Legacy?

Hardman: Only in that we tried to tell stories that were true to the world of Planet of the Apes in that book and we’re bringing the same approach to Star Wars. Comics are at a point where superhero movies drive the content of the comics they came from in the first place. I think the idea of “licensed comics” is very ambiguous at this point. We’re just doing what we always do, trying to tell good stories.

IGN: Whose idea was it to follow up the original Legacy series? Did John Ostrander and Jan Duursema have any input as to where the saga would go after the conclusion of Legacy: War?

Hardman: I believe it was Randy’s idea to do a follow up series.

We didn’t talk to John and Jan. Our book focuses on an almost totally different set of characters in a different part of the galaxy. They had an epic run on the book and we had no intention of stepping on that.

IGN: How would you describe your collaboration with Corinna? Is it much different than working together on Planet of the Apes?

Hardman: We work together pretty much the same way on all the scripts we write. It’s a 50/50 collaboration all the way. Both of us have to agree on every plot element, every panel, and every line.

IGN: How does Ania Solo compare to the various Skywalkers and Solos we've seen in previous stories?

Hardman: It was our intention to bring Ania Solo back to the ground level, swashbuckling, adventure serial roots of Star Wars. She’s not a power player in the way that her ancestors were and she’s not Force sensitive.

IGN: Most Star Wars comics feature a protagonist with some degree of Force ability. Is that something we'll see from Ania eventually, or does she take more after her ancestor Han?

Hardman: No, Ania is a regular person making her way in a turbulent world.

IGN: Star Wars has a history of strong, female characters, especially in the Expanded Universe, but not necessarily in the lead role of any given project. Did you see this as a chance to change that?

Hardman: Having a female lead was very appealing to us. That was the one element that was pitched to us by Randy at the beginning. It’s one of things that lets us tell stories that are both fresh and familiar in the Star Wars universe.

IGN: The connections between this and the previous Legacy series are obvious but not necessarily vital to the plot. How much will you call back to that book over the long term? Can we expect to see Cade Skywalker show up at some point?

Hardman: It’s not impossible that Cade Skywalker could show up but as I was saying, we don’t want to step on what John and Jan did with the character. They had 50 plus issues to develop him and I’m not sure what we could add to that.

IGN: The first Legacy book presented a Sith Lord villain who broke from tradition and led a large group of Sith warriors. With this series, the villain seems to return to the old Sith tactic of valuing secrecy over force. How would you describe the general state of the Jedi and Sith orders in this series?

Hardman: Both are in disarray in certain respects. In many ways our book is about that messy time when the war is over and everybody has to pick up the pieces. The Sith have scattered and gone into hiding. Our villain has learned from the mistakes of the past and is trying a new tack.

IGN: The story you're developing is set in what is currently the farthest known point in the Star Wars timeline. Do you see that as a storytelling advantage?

Hardman: Absolutely. Threading the needle is something we’ve run up against in POTA and it can be frustrating. A clear horizon is preferable.

IGN: There's a degree of uncertainty surrounding the Star Wars comics right now since it's unclear when or if the license might be shifting to Marvel. How much of a road map do you have mapped out for this book, and is that possible transition something you're mindful of?

Hardman: It’s near impossible to be mindful of an unknown so we’re just telling the big story we have mapped out the best we can, arc by arc.

IGN: With digital comics and Kickstarter on the rise, there are a number of options now for creators looking to publish their work. What made you chose to bring Kinski it to Monkeybrain?

Hardman: I admired the way Chris [Roberson] and Allison [Baker] took bold steps to find a new way to distribute creator-owned books. And you can’t help but be impressed by the high quality and diversity of the Monkeybrain titles.

IGN: How much of the story is inspired by your own life and relationship with your pets?

Hardman: The starting point of the story is inspired by a real incident but as with all fiction, the character in Kinski takes things to extremes. The series is very grounded but Joe, the main character, goes beyond what any normal human would do in pursuit of his goals. Probably to an unhealthy extent.

IGN: Joe is interesting, because the reader simultaneously sympathizes with his attachment to Kinski and balks at the extreme measures he takes to acquire another family's dog. Do you see this as a dark story or something ultimately more positive?

Hardman: Ha! I don’t endorse what this guy does in the story if that’s what you’re asking. He’s pursuing something he thinks is right but he’s full of hubris. These conflicting character traits are meant to create that tension. I’m not intent on telling the reader what to think about the story.

IGN: Your art has a very stark, distinctive quality, both in terms of the black-and-white format and the way the pages are laid out. Did you have any particular influences as you put this project together?

Hardman: Every story demands it’s own unique style. I felt that Kinski needed to be stripped down so I could just focus on telling the story. I kept the drawing rudimentary and used a six panel grid because that’s just what this story needs to be. If it had the slick coloring and dynamic page design on a superhero comic, it would undermine the material.

IGN: This issue serves as a complete story, but there's obviously room for much more. What can readers expect from upcoming chapters of Kinski?

Hardman: If issue #1 was the end of the story, this would be a very dark book! Joe is going to have to own up to what he did and try to make it right. Not that things will work out that way…